Ep58: Making Your Private Beliefs Public

Dec, 7, 2019

On February 20, 1954, Albert Einstein said the following during an address to the Chicago Decalogue Society: “…in long intervals I have expressed an opinion on public issues whenever they appeared to me so bad and unfortunate that silence would have made me feel guilty of complicity.” As a public figure with a particular reputation and credibility to maintain, Einstein had to weigh the pros and cons of making his private opinions public. Not everyone feels they have the luxury of making a choice, and you don’t have to be Einstein to know that sharing your positions and views can backfire in today’s especially volatile environment.

Our question this episode: how do we decide when to publicly speak out or stay silent about our personal views?

This question of, “should I be telling them this?” is important to leaders, business owners, teachers, lawyers, doctors, and other professionals who often are expected to have a certain neutrality when it comes to their public personas.